Setting Up Your Profile¶
When you first create a teacher account, you'll go through a 6-step profile setup wizard. Don't worry — you can always come back and edit anything later, but completing it upfront gets you started on the right foot.
Step 1: Welcome Screen¶
The first step confirms your role as a teacher and gives you a quick overview of what's coming. It's just a friendly "hello" and orientation — no decisions to make yet.
What to expect: - Role confirmation (Teacher) - Quick preview of setup steps - Estimated completion time
Pro tip: Have the following ready before you start to speed things up: - A professional photo (headshot works great) - Your teaching experience summary (even if informal — "10 years of private lessons" counts) - List of any degrees or certifications - If you want to attract students: your rates, availability, and booking link
Step 2: Basic Information¶
This is where you enter the essentials — your name, email, and optionally a profile picture.
Fields you'll fill in: - Full Name: How you want to be known professionally (can be a stage name or legal name) - Email: Your primary contact email (students won't see this unless you choose to share it later) - Profile Picture (optional but recommended): Upload a clear, friendly photo
Why your profile picture matters: Students connect better with teachers when they can see a face. It doesn't need to be a professional headshot — just a clear, friendly photo where you're easily recognizable. If you're planning to make your profile public (more on that later), a profile picture significantly increases engagement.
Teaching tip: Use the same photo across your teaching platforms (website, social media, EchoVQ) for consistency. Students should recognize you instantly.
Step 3: Professional Details¶
Now you're getting into the meat of your profile — the information that shows your professional identity and helps students understand your approach.
Fields you'll fill in: - Profile Tagline (optional): A one-sentence description of your teaching approach or specialty (e.g., "Helping singers find confidence and clarity" or "Classical technique for contemporary voices") - Location: City/region where you're based (useful for in-person or local online students) - Institution: School, studio name, or organization you're affiliated with (if applicable) - Public Contact: Email or phone students can use to reach you (only shown if your profile is public) - Website: Your teaching website or portfolio (if you have one) - Booking Link: Direct link for students to schedule lessons (Calendly, Acuity, etc.)
Why these details matter: These fields are what make your profile feel real and professional. Students want to know where you are, how to reach you, and whether you're the right fit for their goals. Even if you're not sure about making your profile public yet, filling these out now means you're ready when the time comes.
What if I don't have a website or booking system? No problem — these are all optional. Many teachers just use email for contact and manual scheduling. EchoVQ works great whether you're running a full studio or teaching a handful of students as a side gig.
Step 4: Teaching Information¶
This is the section where you really define your teaching identity — your experience, specializations, the kinds of students you work with, and practical details like availability and rates.
Experience & Credentials: - Years of Teaching Experience: How long you've been teaching voice (approximate is fine) - Studio Type: Choose from Private Studio, School/Institution, Online Only, or Multiple Settings - Experience Level: Beginner Teacher, Intermediate, Advanced, Expert
Your Teaching Specializations: You'll see checkboxes for various vocal styles and genres. Check all that apply: - Classical/Opera - Musical Theatre - Pop/Contemporary - Jazz - R&B/Soul - Rock - Country - Folk - Gospel - Choral - And more...
Why specializations matter: This helps the platform recommend exercises that match your teaching focus and helps students searching for a teacher find you if you're a good fit. It's perfectly fine to check multiple boxes — most voice teachers work across styles.
Student Levels You Teach: Check all that you're comfortable with: - Beginners (just starting out) - Intermediate (developing technique) - Advanced (pre-professional or serious students) - Professional (working singers)
Practical Details: - Teaching Availability: Full-time, Part-time, or Occasional (helps set expectations) - Languages You Teach In: English, Spanish, French, etc. (check all that apply) - Hourly Rate: Your standard lesson rate (optional, only shown if profile is public) - Trial Lesson Rate: Discounted rate for first-time students (optional)
Additional Specializations (free-form text): Space for anything not covered in the checkboxes — maybe you specialize in singer-songwriter development, vocal rehab, audition prep, or working with teens. This is where you can get specific.
Why rates matter (even if you're not sure about sharing them): Including your rates (even privately, just for your records) helps you think through your pricing. If you do make your profile public, transparent pricing attracts serious students and filters out those who aren't in your price range.
Teaching tip: Don't overthink the specializations. If you've successfully taught a style, check the box. You're not claiming to be the world's foremost expert — you're just indicating you can help students in that area.
Step 5: Qualifications & Credentials¶
This is where you list your formal training, degrees, certifications, publications, and professional affiliations. If you have them, great — they add credibility. If you don't, that's okay too. Many excellent voice teachers are self-taught or learned through mentorship and performance experience.
Degrees: List any music-related degrees (Bachelor's, Master's, PhD, etc.) with: - Degree title (e.g., "Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance") - Institution - Year completed (optional)
Qualifications: Certifications, workshops, or training programs you've completed: - Qualification title (e.g., "Somatic Voicework™ Level 3 Teacher Training") - Institution or certifying body - Year completed (optional)
Publications: If you've written articles, books, or research related to voice teaching, list them here. Most teachers won't have publications — that's totally normal.
Professional Affiliations: Organizations you're a member of (e.g., NATS, MTNA, AVA, local music educators' associations): - Organization name - Your role (Member, Board Member, etc.)
Why credentials matter: For some students and parents, formal training is important. For others, experience and teaching style matter more. Including your credentials gives students the full picture of your background.
What if I don't have formal credentials? Many phenomenal voice teachers learned by doing — performing professionally, apprenticing with mentors, or years of self-study. If that's you, lean into your experience in Step 4 (years teaching, student success stories) and let your teaching speak for itself. Students care more about results than resume lines.
Step 6: Completion¶
You did it! The final step confirms your profile is set up and gives you a preview of what it looks like. You'll be automatically redirected to your Teacher Dashboard (specifically, the Student Management page), where you can start adding students.
What happens next: - Your profile is saved (but private by default — you control when/if to make it public) - You're taken to the Student Management dashboard - You can start adding students immediately - You can edit your profile anytime from Settings
Quick orientation after setup: The dashboard might feel like a lot at first. Here's what you're looking at: - Left Sidebar: Main navigation (Student Management, Practice Activity, Insights, etc.) - Student List: All your students will appear here (empty for now) - Top Menu: Access to Exercise Library, your own Practice Plan, and Settings
Your first action will likely be adding a student (covered in the "Managing Your Students" section), but feel free to explore the Exercise Library or check out the Analytics features to see what's possible.